BRUTALLY KILLING IT ON CAMERA. SET OFF A FIRE STORM OF OUTRAGE. THESE ARE A FEW OF THE EMAILS NEWS 4 JAX RECEIVED ALERTING US TO THE CRIME. SCOTT JOHNSON IS LIVE AFTER SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE TEEN'S FATHERS. THIS FATHER WAS OUTRAGED WHEN HE TALKED TO ME, SAYING HE DID NOT RAISE HIS DAUGHTER TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, RECORD KILLING A TORTOISE ON A CELL PHONE. THREATENED ONE AT THAT. HE TELLS ME, THE COURTS WILL DEAL WITH HER. WE DID SOME DIGGING AND TRACKED DOWN ONE OF THE GIRLS INVOLVED TO THIS HOME. WHEN I STOPPED BY THE ADDRESS, MAN WHO SAYS HE IS ONE OF THE TEEN'S FATHERS CAME TO THE DOOR. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT? YEAH, THEY ARE VERY REMORSEFUL FOR WHAT THEY DID. AND THEY ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM TO GET IT ALL FIGURED OUT. OKAY? WHATEVER THE COURT SYSTEM HANDS DOWN, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO. HE SAID HE DIDN'T WANT TO COME ANY CLOSER TO ME OR GIVE HIS NAME BECAUSE HE SAYS SINCE THIS HAPPENED, HIS FAMILY HAS RECEIVED DEATH THREATS. HE ALSO SAYS HE, TOO, IS OUTRAGED AT WHAT HE SAYS HIS DAUGHTER DID. IT IS SICK TO DO WHAT THEY DID. I DIDN'T SEE IT. I HAVE SEEN IT ON TV AND I DON'T CARE TO SEE IT. I WAS HERE WHEN THEY FOUND THE, YOU KNOW, THE TURTLE. I WAS HERE WHEN THE WILDLIFE, WE TALKED FOR AN HOUR. THEY TALKED FOR AN HOUR. THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A COURT DATE COMING UP. THAT IT'S ALL GOING TO BE HANDLED FROM THERE. AGAIN, WE ARE NOT SHOWING THE MOST GRAPHIC PARTS OF THE CELL PHONE VIDEO. IT SHOWS THE TEENS LIGHTING THE TORTOISE ON FIRE AND THEN KILLING IT IN A BRUTAL FASHION. WHEN THE VIDEO SHOWED UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE IT HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE RESPONDING. NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE IS INVESTIGATING AND CONSIDERING CHARGES. WE HAD AN OFFICER DISPATCHED OUT TO INVESTIGATE. SHE STARTED THE INVESTIGATION AND FWC INVESTIGATORS ARE PRESENTLY WORKING WITH THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE WHAT CHARGES MAY BE FILED. AND ONE THING I WANT TO ADD IS WE APPRECIATE FOLKS TAKING THE TIME TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THIS SO WE CAN GET INVOLVED. THE MAN I TALKED TO SAYS HE KNOWS HIS DAUGHTER WILL BE PUNISHED. NOW HE IS TRYING TO HANDLE THE FALLOUT OF WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIS FAMILY. THEY ARE GOING TO CATCH THE WRATH OF WHAT HAPPENED AND THE COURT IS GOING TO HANDLE IT AND I DON'T THINK ALL THIS DAMN THREATS THAT I'M GETTING ON FACEBOOK AND ALL THAT -- I'M NOT GETTING. THERE'S NO MORE FACEBOOK IN THIS HOUSE, NO MORE SMARTPHONES. WE TALKED TO A LOCAL ATTORNEY ABOUT THE KINDS OF CHARGES THESE TEENS COULD FACE. ONE COULD BE AGGRAVATED ANIMAL ABUSE WHICH IS A FELONY. THERE COULD BE A SECOND CHARGE BECAUSE THIS IS A TORTOISE THAT IS A THREATENED SPECIES. THAT COULD CAUSE ANOTHER CRIMINAL CHARGE TO BE LEVELED AS WELL. AND FISH AND WILDLIFE TELLS US THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE IF THESE TEENS SHOULD BE CHARGED AS ADULTS. LIVE IN ORANGE PARK, SCOTT JOHNSON, CHANNEL 4 THE LOCAL STATION. SCOTT, WE MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE NEWS THAT WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF EMAILS FROM PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT THEY FOUND THIS DEEPLY TROUBLING. HOW DID THIS CASE GET TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE TO INVESTIGATE? WELL, THOSE VIDEO, THOSE SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS AND THE OUTRAGE HAD A LOT DO WITH IT. IT GOT TRANSFERRED FIRST TO THE CLAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEY KICKED IT OVER TO FISH AND WILDLIFE BECAUSE THIS IS UNDER THEIR JURISDICTION, SO THAT'S HOW THEY BEGAN THEIR INVESTIGATION. THAT'S WHY THEY WERE THANKING THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR OUTRAGE OF THE THEY SAID IT'S HOW HAD HE FOUND OUT.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. -

Two Florida teenage girls posted a video online of them abusing and killing a gopher tortoise, which the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says is a threatened species.

After multiple complaints into FWC Tuesday night, officials started an investigation and are working with the State Attorney's Office to determine what charges will be filed.

WJXT-TV reports the cellphone video shows the tortoise being lit on fire, thrown on the concrete and being stomped on until it dies. Some of the video is too graphic to show and contains vulgar language. The girls are heard laughing and talking about killing the turtle.

Ridgeview High School confirmed the two girls attend school there, but because the incident didn't happen on school property or during school hours, the school can only say they're aware and the incident is being handled by proper authorities.

Due to the open investigation by FWC and the State Attorney's Office, WJXT-TV did not release the names of the two teenagers.

Chyenne Padgett, 15, said she goes to school with them and cried when she saw the video online. She said she was one of the first to call police.

"It's incredibly upsetting," Padgett said. "I have two pet turtles inside my house, and as I watching the video, all I can think about is, 'Oh my God, what if someone was doing that to my turtles? Those are my babies. They're my favorite animal.'"

FWC said the turtle is a threatened gopher tortoise, one level above endangered, which makes matters even worse.

"We certainly don't want anybody hurting any animal, but they're a threatened species and it's against the law to kill harass or destroy gopher tortoises, their eggs or their burrows," FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker said.

The State Attorney's Office will determine if the teens will be charged as juveniles or adults. A local attorney not affiliated with the case said the teens could face a felony charge for aggravated animal cruelty and an additional felony charge under a statute that protects endangered species.

Padgett hopes the two face the proper consequences.

"I was really, really angry," she said. "I don't understand what compelled them to think that would be fun."

The Clay County Humane Society issued this statement:

"Animal abuse is a key indicator of future violence towards human beings. These acts of cruelty typically escalate to future abuse of animals and people. It is vital that anyone who learns of violence towards animals contact the police immediately. We commend the young people who saw this animal abuse online and alerted the Clay County Sheriff's Office to help prevent future crimes like this one."

No one answered the door Wednesday at the home where WJXT-TV believes at least one of the teens lives.

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